Rejecting climate doomerism with solarpunk

A Psalm for the Wild-Built is the first book in the Monk & Robot series by Becky Chambers. The story takes place in a utopian future after the end of the Factory Age, where robots have gained consciousness and chosen to live in the wilderness. The novella follows Sibling Dex, a tea monk, and Mosscap, a sentient robot, as they journey to an abandoned hermitage. Along the way, they engage in philosophical discussions about human needs, purpose, and fulfillment. The book is characterized by its hopeful and optimistic tone, exploring themes of human nature, spirituality, and the importance of understanding and respecting each other's choices and agency.

The Glass and Gardens duology, referenced by Phoebe Wagner, is a two-volume set published through World Weaver Press that centers on solarpunk and eco-speculative narratives. The collection brings together authors imagining alternatives to extractive systems through community-driven technology, regenerative design, and social justice frameworks. It aims to showcase diverse voices and settings, from urban green architecture to communal mutual-aid economies. By pairing complementary volumes, the duology offers readers a sustained exploration of hopeful futures across interconnected stories and essays. Its publication contributed to the growing visibility of solarpunk in small-press speculative fiction circles.

Sun Vault is an anthology edited by Phoebe Wagner that gathers short fiction, poetry, and visual art centered on solarpunk and eco-speculative themes. The collection foregrounds hopeful, imaginative responses to ecological crises, highlighting community-based solutions, sustainable technologies, and social justice. Its pieces emphasize practical, grassroots approaches and craft worlds where humans and nonhumans coexist in regenerative relationships. The anthology helped popularize solarpunk in English-language circles by offering varied voices and formats that model constructive futures. Sun Vault serves as an accessible entry point for readers seeking optimistic climate fiction grounded in lived social and environmental concerns.